BOSTON -- Some local hospitals are taking extreme measures to protect patients from Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA -- a staph infection that can be deadly for those who are already sick or weak.

NewsCenter 5's Heather Unruh reported Wednesday that new numbers show about 3 percent of the population carries MRSA.

At 80, Arthur Shelley was full of life, even after congestive heart failure landed him in a Needham, Mass., hospital.

But in August, stomach pain forced him back to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital -- Needham. Shelley's daughter, Kathy Mazzola, said that within days, her father developed signs of a massive infection.

"Once he got the infection, no matter what they tried, how many antibiotics or what he did, we had to watch him die," Mazzola said.

Shelley died from MRSA. It's a bacteria that lives on the skin and can be passed on by a simple touch. While staph bacteria have always been a problem in hospitals, doctors said the new strain was gaining strength in the community -- on military bases, college campuses and even in locker rooms.

"We have patients coming into the hospital with the community acquired MRSA, compounded by the fact that the visitors are bringing it in, and we have to worry about our caregivers," nurse Patricia McNamee said.

Experts said that the new strain is becoming more resistant to treatment, which is why some hospitals are pumping up efforts to prevent transmission.

At Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, caregivers wear buttons that read, "Go ahead and ask," encouraging patients to ask their provider if they've cleaned their hands before they enter their rooms.

"I don't think any health care worker starts out having bad intentions or planning to harm someone by something they do or don't do, but hospitals are busy places and sometimes people forget," Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's Dr. Sharon Wright said.

About 200 sanitizers line every floor of the hospital. Studies at other hospitals show similar programs can increase hand cleaning by up to 80 percent.

Mazzola said that hand cleaninig is a good idea. While she may never know where or how her father contracted the bacteria, she said health care professionals need to do everything they can to prevent the spread of MRSA.

"I went to the doctor with my kids. They had flu shots, and I asked the doctor to wash his hands," Mazzola said.

Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital -- Needham would not talk about Shelley's death, citing privacy rules. Officials said that the infection rate at the hospital is lower than the national hospital average.